THE surprising traction that Labor gained with the Medicare issue was evident in responses by voters to The Standard this afternoon.
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Despite Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull repeatedly dismissing Labor’s claims the Coalition had plans to tinker with Medicare, several voters said their desire to preserve Medicare had been a major influence on their vote.
At the Woodford polling booth, a mother who had a chronic illness, said preserving Medicare and penalty rates had been the issues of importance to her.
The woman, who did not want to be named, voted Labor.
Her mother said the same two issues had resonated with her, particularly the cuts to rebates to many pathology tests that came into effect this month.
Another woman, who did not want to be named, said she was a traditional Labor voter and had done so again at this election.
The woman said she supported Labor because it supported those on lower and middle incomes while the Liberals supported the rich.
A Woodford resident, who did not want to be named, said better care for the environment, more action on climate change, and better treatment of refugees were the issues that concerned her.
She said she took little heed of the candidates’ promises about many other issues because they often did not carry through with them if elected.
At Koroit polling booth, a young couple, Breanna Emonson and Joseph Moore, pushing a child in a pram, said Medicare had been the principle issue for them in the election.
Both voted Labor in the election.
Ms Emonson said Medicare was the only issue for her in the election while Mr Moore said it was Medicare and Labor’s more friendly policies to those on lower incomes that claimed his vote.
Also at Koroit, local Rhett Warren said more humane treatment by Australia of those seeking asylum here was a major issue for him in deciding who he voted for.
“We would never put up with it (the treatment of asylum seekers in offshore detention centres) if it was on our soil,” Mr Warren said.
He said he voted for the Greens because the Liberal and Labor policies on asylum seekers were close to the same.
Mr Warren said he also wanted political parties to stop taking donations from big corporations.
